Mukai
| number = | used by = | signature = L'Obscurité }} Mukai (無解, "Nothingness Release") is a unique state that a Zanpakutō may achieve by tapping into the darkness of a Shinigami's soul that was once a part of the Amatsu-Mikaboshi. It can also be achieved by a user of as well. has acknowledged the Mukai as one of the highest forms of treason, treated as though gaining the power to trample upon order and stability itself, acquired only by those designated as the Noragami. It is considered to be the trump card of L'Obscurité. Overview Upon the destruction of the force of the absolute primordial darkness known as Amatsu-Mikaboshi, due to the movements of "In" (陰, Yin) and "Yō" (陽, Yang) in Shinto belief, the Mikaboshi was said to have been all but gone, its residue still lingered on in the hearts of all beings and is allegedly the cause of all human passions. During the years prior to L'Obscurité's formation, the Kuremisago Family had developed a method akin to that of a ritual that allowed for the way to interact with the Amatsu-Mikaboshi fragment inside of their souls, with the understanding that they could learn to direct its absolutely limitless powers of destruction against their enemies. Of course, with learning to channel this power, the user had to also undergo intense sessions of physical and mental training in order to discipline themselves to be capable of utilizing this strength without being consumed by it. Klaus Nietzsche stated that the Zanpakutō itself is the physical manifestation of the wielder's heart. Therefore, Mukai is the method of channeling that fragment of the Amatsu-Mikaboshi within the user through their Zanpakutō and unleashing its power which results in a unique transformation. However, in doing so, the original spirit of the Zanpakutō becomes warped by the darkness that taints both them and their master, as they share a single soul. The result in mastering Mukai means to abandon the and , as darkness becomes the weapon of one's soul as their original Zanpakutō is smothered by the darkness. Likewise, those that had learned to channel their inner selves through the are also able to tap into their inner darkness as well, also achieving the same release state as a form of evolution. Acquired Traits Similar to that of Bankai, the Mukai results in a transformation of either the user, the weapon, or even both most likely. In most cases, the transformation is noted to be rather "demonic" and/or animalistic, to better reflect the intense passions of the user's heart. Mukai enhances the physical and spiritual capabilities of the user by a broad degree proportional to the level of mastery that they possess over the release form. There is no way of telling how strong any individual Mukai can become, to which it is almost presumed to possess limitless potential and therefore can infinitely evolve and grow stronger. In addition, each Mukai grants a unique ability that ties into the theme of the Zanpakutō. Seimei Abe noted that the Mukai is essentially a balance between the Shinigami's and a Quincy's , taken to an extreme, and serves as a Noragami's trump card. Perhaps one of the most devastating abilities that the Mukai grants is a power similar to the . Hatred is a horrible yet absolute force in the world, and regardless of one's will, anger is a flame that can not be tamed if it grows too great. This hatred spreads like a disease and draws in ambient , playing to the darkness within all people's wills, even the fragmented wills of reishi themselves, enslaving them with the user's god-like negativity and swallowing them into the user to empower them continuously without end. *'Akujishu' (悪自首, "Malicious Surrender"; literally meaning "to give one's self up to evil/hatred"): Akin to the , this is a more concentrated and focused form of a Mukai user's power to draw in reishi and enslave the spiritons in order to empower themselves consistently. They can corrupt the souls of weaker hearts than their own and completely consume the victim; the result being that the user can literally assume the characteristics and associated capabilities of their victim, along with the appropriate empowerment. There are, however, standard abilities that almost every Mukai grants its user. Similar to that of Hollows, users of Mukai gain access to instant regeneration, capable of healing quickly from even life-threatening injuries. Most noticeably, the Mukai user gains an incredible sensitivity to all forms of emotion, including that of killer intent as well. This makes it nearly impossible to ambush a Mukai user, also making it difficult for opponents to escape the senses of the former. Subsequently, because of this, standard forms of hypnosis and illusions which manipulate the five basic senses do not hinder this ability. Most Mukai users are said to exhibit a more "darker" reiatsu whilst in their release form. Most often, the release of Mukai also results in drastic personality changes in the user. With inexperienced users, they become consumed by strong desires of hatred and anger, that if not careful, could end with them losing their own selves to the darkness of their passions. They eventually lose all stability over their emotional states, succumbing to the will of their hatred entirely. Once this occurs, Mukai is said to become even stronger a force, but the user's sense of self almost completely disappears. When a master of Mukai accesses the release, they often assume rather sociopathic tendencies. Even if they normally dislike the use of violence or find the idea of bloodshed horrendous, they will feel ecstatic at the sight of causing pain to their opponent, doing whatever possible to drag out the suffering of a victim by whatever means necessary. However, this is by no means a restrictive drawback, as it can be completely controlled when in the hands of a skilled user. Those who are able to master the Mukai are said to become "unstoppable forces of nature", obtaining power that could easily prompt others to mistaken them for deities; something that Jihan Kanda notes during his fight against Murata Amakuni. Notable Users The only known masters of Mukai are acclaimed to be the nine Ikken Kyūkage of L'Obscurité and presumably Kurama Kawahiru. While predominantly a technique gained through a , it appears that users of the Hyōkotō are also capable of awakening this state. Behind the Scenes The concepts behind Mukai are based on actual Shinto beliefs, in that upon the destruction of the Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the remains were said to linger and to live on in the hearts of humans, which is said to be the prime reason behind intense emotions in human beings, such as hatred and anger. There was said to exist certain Japanese sorcerers that attempted to establish a cult of worship of the Amatsu-Mikaboshi in the attempt of developing a method of directing its power of destruction against one's enemies through shaman teachings. Ama-no-Kagaseo was said to be the corporal form of the Amatsu-Mikaboshi, having become much closer to a Satan representation by this time, who drew his power from the Pole Star. The idea was that if you let the Amatsu-Mikaboshi feed your passions for greed or lust but then turned to control them through intense discipline, you yourself could harness its power of control and establish dominion over a territory or even the world.